For many of us a burning issue in our lives at this time is clearly what is happening in the Middle East – or more particularly Palestine. That genocide on a massive scale has been occurring cannot be denied. One hoped for a stronger preliminary finding to support interim measures by the ICJ. But it Continue reading »
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The International Court of Justice has responded rather toothlessly to South Africa’s appeal to the Genocide Convention. In less than a month, a similar result can be expected when Britain’s Royal Courts of Justice hear for Julian Assange’s last appeal against extradition to the United States. One case seeks to protect the lives and well-being Continue reading »
Netanyahu and his supporters in Washington are playing for very high and dangerous stakes indeed as the Middle East war threatens to widen beyond Gaza. I will try in this unavoidably long essay to draw together the main political-military threads of the now very tangled situation across the Middle East, with the Gaza war as Continue reading »
One of the many things Australians should consider as they contemplate our nationhood on the day set aside for this purpose is our glorious tradition of being not very good at fighting wars. We boast of our military traditions, our baptisms of fire and of our long traditions of unquestioning obedience and eager anticipation of Continue reading »
The Albanese Government was right to change its previous position on the already legislated Stage 3 tax cuts and to seek a fairer and more equitable taxation system for all Australians. However, its proposed changes fail to deal sufficiently with the increasing tax bites into the incomes of low paid working Australians. The focus on Continue reading »
Japan finds itself at a crucial juncture in its relationship with China, with an opportunity to recalibrate and enhance bilateral ties through a seemingly simple yet impactful diplomatic tool: visa policy. As reported by Kyodo News on Tuesday, China’s proposal to Japan—granting visa exemptions for diplomatic and official passport holders in exchange for resuming visa-free Continue reading »
The State of Israel can butcher thousands of innocents but New Zealand would not lift a finger to provide support to its victims. IDF soldiers can gun down old men and women waving white flags, shell lines of refugees queuing for aid and deprive hospitals of power and medicine – and all New Zealand does Continue reading »
Nikki Haley may not have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning the Republican nomination but she’s decided she’s not going to go quietly. She’s not only needling Trump constantly about his mental fitness, she’s taken on the RNC for their servile move to prematurely declare Trump the “presumptive nominee.” In her town halls in South Carolina she’s become downright feisty: I suspect it’s the laughing at him that bothers him the most although I doubt it’s the first time a woman has done so. You have to wonder what might have been if Haley and the others had gone after Trump this way from the beginning. I always assumed he would win the nomination but they didn’t have to make it so easy for him. Who knows, if they had jumped on him hard in those days after the 2022 loss when many in the party were saying they were getting tired of losing and blaming his disastrous endorsements, maybe one of them could have made a real run for it. In the end, trying so hard not to alienate him and his followers didn’t work anyway.
Yeah, it’s a cult Keeping up with five social media accounts after Musk bought Twitter is a pain. It’s worse (for those of a certain age) than juggling VHS and Betamax tapes until the market sorts out which format becomes the popular default. Plus, WordPress does not cleanly allow pasting in video from Mastodon, Threads or Blue Sky. So for now, I’m still following “X” even if I’m not supplying content for Musk’s right-wing platform. Ironically, there is still content there that pushes back against white nationalism. For your amusement then, here are three posts that appeared in this order, one after the other, in my feed this morning. Starting with this guy below: “Fact, we would not have one Democrat president in the last 50 years if women couldn’t vote. So I don’t want women to vote …”
As I say in my TED Talk about Vilem Flusser, the most pressing cultural question is: “why are things so weird?” Or as Anna Shechtman describes it: “that feeling—floating somewhere between mania and motion sickness—that everything has changed.” It seems like everyone really fucking wants the answer to be “The Algorithm.” The New Yorker internet and culture columnist Kyle […]
Been There, Smelled That explores the aromas of places around the world. Travel writer Maggie Downs investigates some of the world’s most potent smells, looks at how odor cultivates a connection to place, and presents how humans engage with smells, from scents that have endured generations to the latest innovations in aroma-making.
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Town Hall, Orange Walk, Belize.
My introduction to Orange Walk is through my nose.
I drive into town on a pockmarked, humpy two-lane road, past lanky palm trees and wooden Coca-Cola signs. With a population of 13,000, this is Belize’s fourth-largest town, and the land here is lush and slightly swampy. The windshield of my rental Jeep is splotched with all the bugs I’ve killed along the way. And the smell coming through the air vents is decidedly ashy, a bit like a burning cigar.
As Putin smiles As a child of the 1960s, I hate sounding like a Cold Warrior here, but c’mon. Moscow is gleeful. As gleeful as Stephen Miller pondering loading immigrants onto rail cars. As gleeful as a cheering MAGA rally at the idea of police shooting looters and brown-skinned migrants. Russian operatives had to get their hand dirty to help Donald Trump win election in 2016. Since then, MAGA Republicans have internalized Vladimir Putin’s thirst for the kind of chaos and insurrection that might tear apart the U.S. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is pleased to toss more fuel on the fire. The Supreme Court vacated an appeals court decision that allowed Texas to deny federal officials from accessing a portion of the Texas border with Mexico. In response, writes Jonathan Last: … the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, responded that the Supreme Court’s order “allows Biden to continue his illegal effort to aid the foreign invasion of America.” Which is a perfectly normal statement for an officer of the court to make, I guess? It’s not clear what Texas Republicans think they are doing. Are they trying to trigger the libs? Or hurt Biden?
In an exclusive interview, Jeremy Miles says he wants a frank discussion about Brexit's hit to the economy - and calls for far greater devolution for Wales
The compromise ruling from the ICJ in the Hague could slow the violence against Gaza's citizens, but catastrophe still looms
John Sweeney, who worked on the 2015 BBC documentary, explores how the Post Office's chair was also on the broadcaster's board while the programme was in production – without declaring it
Welcome to my channel. I’m a YouTube child star who’s probably gonna end up president or something. My video “Slime Egg Toy Surprise” has been viewed more than three billion times, and I’m only six and a half years old. Watch out, career politicians!
After creating a few thousand more bangers like “Thomas Train Pretend Play Game Adults Kid Learning” or “Frozen Toy Set #FlagDaySale #Patriotism Educational Toddler #Sponsored Olaf Fun,” I figure I’ll bop around Silicon Valley for a few years, pick up some kind of raging addiction, maybe publish a memoir or put out a critically-panned album. Everyone has to pay their dues, right? Even I had to use the potty for the first time on YouTube Live before I could get a sticker for my chart.
Anyway, then I’ll be ready to slide into politics. Maybe as mayor of a joke-ish sort of city. Las Vegas? Somewhere in New Jersey? I’m six. I don’t know the names of all the states yet, much less how they lean politically.
With little public debate, and doubts about their reliability, Byline Times reveals the use of lie detectors is still increasing
- by Aeon Video